Cartagena Mayor Dumek Turbay Paz broke institutional relations with Aguas de Cartagena and its operator Veolia on Monday [1].
The move signals a drastic shift in the city's infrastructure management as the local government seeks to end a cycle of frequent service outages and quality failures. By attempting to reclaim control of the water supply, the administration is challenging a long-standing private partnership that has faced mounting public criticism.
Turbay announced the rupture on June 1, 2026 [2], citing a persistent crisis in the water service. The mayor said that frequent cuts and failures in water quality have led to widespread user complaints, making the current operational model unsustainable for the district [3].
As part of the strategy to resolve the crisis, Turbay announced the intention to create a public water company. This transition would move the city away from its current reliance on Veolia, the company operating through Acuacar [4]. The mayor said that the city will pursue legal actions against the providers to address the service failures [5].
The transition faces significant legal and financial hurdles. The current contract with the water company still has eight years of validity remaining [6]. Terminating such an agreement prematurely often triggers complex arbitration, and potential indemnity payments to the private operator.
Despite these risks, the administration maintains that the lack of reliable water is a critical failure of the current system. The proposal for a public entity aims to ensure that the district maintains direct control over the distribution, and quality of its most essential resource [7].
“Mayor Dumek Turbay Paz broke institutional relations with Aguas de Cartagena and its operator Veolia.”
This decision represents a pivot toward the 'municipalization' of essential services in Cartagena. By breaking ties with Veolia and proposing a public utility, the city is prioritizing direct sovereign control over the efficiency of private contracts. However, the eight-year remaining term on the existing contract suggests a looming legal battle that could delay the actual handover of operations and result in significant financial liabilities for the city.
